Latest Tournament News - El Hindi vs. Beng Hee

Welcome to the Virtual Spectator Bermuda Masters 2006 presented by Logic and hosted by Endurance - a festival of squash hosted in paradise.

April 3rd 2006

Wael El Hindi vs. Ong Beng Hee

Robert Edwards introduces the second game of the evening. A repeat of the 1998 World Junior final. Edwards talks about the hero worship for Egyptian players. World number 19 and a prestigious talent from Egypt - Wael El Hindi.

Edwards introduces the next player. In Malaysia, female player Nicol David and this player are great ambassadors for the sport. A great player - Ong Beng Hee.

Edwards brings out Amr Shabana from Egypt. Is Wael El Hindi the joker in the pack? 'Yes, he makes it easier on the tour'. 'This is going to be a great match'. They talk about 'the Egyptian wrist' - El Hindi has it and more. Shabana says he has been blessed to be double world champion. He has taken squash to another level. The kids in Egypt love to play the game, it is very hard to Shabana to get on court - the kids kick him off. His wife is here - he has always told her about the beauty of Bermuda. The referee is Dean Clayton from the UK.

Game 1

  • El Hindi serving
  • A long first rally. Beng Hee wins it with a drive into the nick on the right. 1-0.
  • Beng Hee plays the ball out on the left. 1-1.
  • El Hindi plays the ball down. 2-1 to Beng Hee.
  • Nice shot from El Hindi, 2-2
  • Beng Hee counters with his own great shot. 3-2.
  • A long rally is tinned by El Hindi front left. 4-2 to Beng Hee.
  • Stroke to Beng Hee. 5-2.
  • A great rally ends with 4 drops in the left corner. El Hindi wins it. 3-5.
  • Mis-hit from El Hindi front right takes it to 4-5.
  • Fantastic rally - great skill from both players - ends in a let call.
  • Long set down the right line, then the left. Beng Hee then tins it. 5-5.
  • A great defensive boast from El Hindi from the right side. 6-5.
  • Ball played down by El Hindi. 6-6.
  • Some great recoveries by both players have the crowd applauding. Let called.
  • Tight rally ends with El Hindi playing a volley front right into the nick. 7-6.
  • Controlled play from El Hindi when Beng Hee is out of position. Then a Beng Hee mistake. 9-6 to El Hindi.
  • Slow rally down the left side. Ends with a cross-court from El Hindi which is unrecoverable. 10-6 game ball.
  • Volley played down by El Hindi. 7-10.
  • Great final hard low cross-court from El Hindi. He wins 11-7.

NEWSFLASH - Robert Edwards announces in the break that Shabana has just achieved world number 1 ranking.

Game 2

  • El Hindi serving
  • El Hindi plays the ball down. 1-0 to Beng Hee.
  • Beng Hee plays ball down at the end of a long rally. Then El Hindi does the same. 2-1 to Beng Hee.
  • Sublime return of serve from El Hindi. 2-2. Then El Hindi blasts one into the tin. 3-2 to Beng Hee.
  • Ball played out by Beng Hee. 3-3. Then he misses a drop. 4-3 to El Hindi.
  • Another rally down the left. It switches right then left, then El Hindi tins it. 4-4.
  • El Hindi plays it out of court. 5-4 to Beng Hee.
  • Another long rally down the left. It switches right and El Hindi plays a drop front right - too good. 5-5.
  • El Hindi takes another tight shot - 6-5. Beng Hee becoming frustrated with let calls.
  • El Hindi has a great chance of a volley winner front left and tins it. 6-6.
  • More left side position play. A boast from Beng Hee from the back right is then tinned by El Hindi. 7-6.
  • El Hindi fails to reach a drop at the front left. 8-6 to Beng Hee.
  • El Hindi disputes a let call he believes to be a stroke. He is told to go back on court.
  • Another let. Then a great lob and drop rally (applause). Beng Hee tins it. 7-8.
  • Another tinned shot - this time from a volley by Beng Hee leaves the score at 8-8.
  • Ball played down by El Hindi. 9-8 to Beng Hee.
  • Several let plays. Game still at 9-8 to Beng Hee.
  • El Hindi tins a ball down the right. 10-8 game ball for Beng Hee.
  • El Hindi then hits another shot into the tin to give the game to Beng Hee 11-8.

Game 3

  • Beng Hee serving
  • El Hindi hits a boast from the right down. 1-0.
  • 1-1 after Beng Hee hits a boast down.
  • A great round-the-walls boast from El Hindi is unreachable. 2-1.
  • Let call from Beng Hee denied. He then tins a volley drop. 4-1 to El Hindi.
  • A great drop from El Hindi. 5-1.
  • Stroke to Beng Hee in the front left corner. Disputed by El Hindi. 2-5.
  • 4-5 after two missed shots from El Hindi.
  • A lot of let plays. Then a fantastic rally with great reactions from both players. El Hindi edges it. 6-4.
  • Beng Hee scores a quick point. Then a superb cross-court into the nick by him takes it to 6-6.
  • Court door is open as Beng Hee disputes a denied let call. 7-6.
  • Great drop by El Hindi front right. 8-6.
  • Court door open several times. Both players disputing calls. Referee tells them to play squash.
  • Quick point by Beng Hee takes it to 7-8.
  • Ball played down by Beng Hee. 9-8 to El Hindi.
  • Stroke awarded to El Hindi as his backhand is impeded. 10-8 game ball.
  • El Hindi plays ball down. 9-10.
  • Stroke awarded to Beng Hee after El Hindi falls over and Beng Hee then trips. 10-10. Tie-break.
  • A great cross-court backhand from Beng Hee is too good. 11-10.
  • Fantastic drop from El Hindi is called down. Beng Hee wins 12-10.

Game 4

  • Beng Hee serving
  • Ball tinned by Beng Hee. 1-0 to El Hindi. The he is awarded a stroke. 2-0.
  • Beng Hee misses an easy backhand. 3-0.
  • Great cross-court drive to back right by Beng Hee. 1-3.
  • Failed volley drop from Beng Hee. 4-1.
  • Another failed drop from Beng Hee, and two quick points by El Hindi - 7-1.
  • Beng Hee wins a point to move to 2-7. Then another quick point - 3-7.
  • Let call dispute from El Hindi. He asks - Do you want me to play it next time? Ref responds - Only if it's safe.
  • Two quick points from Beng Hee take it to 5-7.
  • Tinned shot from Beng Hee takes it to 8-5 in El Hindi's favour.
  • Great forced drop in the right from Beng Hee - 6-8.
  • Several let plays. Then El Hindi is denied one after a drop from Beng Hee. 7-8.
  • Great sevice return from El Hindi takes him to 9-7.
  • Rallies becoming more physical as players become more frustrated.
  • Another let call by El Hindi denied. 8-9 Beng Hee serving.
  • Fantastic return of service drop into right corner by El Hindi. 10-8.
  • El Hindi finishes it off with a shot to the right. Game score 11-8. Match score 2-2.

Game 5

  • El Hindi serving
  • Fantastic cross-court from El Hindi. 1-0.
  • Good pressure from Beng Hee wins him a point. 1-1.
  • A great drop front left from Beng Hee. 2-1.
  • Quick return of serve from El Hindi is a winner. 2-2.
  • Overhead volley from Beng Hee is a winner down the right. 3-2.
  • El Hindi plays the ball down. 4-2.
  • A deft volley drop front left from Beng Hee takes him to a 5-2 lead.
  • Hand out 3-5 after a quick point from El Hindi.
  • Drop front left from El Hindi, then a tinned shot by his opponent take it to 5-5.
  • Another mistake from Beng Hee gives El Hindi a 6-5 lead.
  • Let call from El Hindi denied. Game stands at 6-6.
  • Shot down the line from El Hindi is too good. 7-6.
  • Great rally ends in a drop error from El Hindi. 7-7.
  • Two let plays. Then a deceptive drop from Beng Hee front left. 8-7.
  • Stroke awarded to El Hindi. 8-8. Then he plays a tight shot on the left wall which Beng Hee cannot retrieve. 9-8.
  • Tinned backhand volley into the tin front right from El Hindi. 9-9.
  • Cagey rally down the left side. Leads to a let call. Then a cross-court winner from El Hindi. 10-9 match ball.
  • 10-10 tie-break after Beng Hee winner, then stroke to Beng Hee. 11-10 match ball.
  • Beng Hee misses a boast. 11-11.
  • Beng Hee plays ball out. 12-11 match ball to El Hindi.
  • Lazy boast out of the back right from El Hindi hits the tin. 12-12.
  • El Hindi plays the ball high and out on the right side. Beng Hee serving 13-12.
  • Beng Hee drops front left into path of El Hindi. Stroke to El Hindi. 13-13.
  • Return of serve winner by Beng Hee, then he is awarded a stroke. He wins 15-13.

Our Summary
Wow! What an epic match. 98 minutes of long rallies, fantastic touch play and some heavily disputed let calls. There were 98 decisions made by the referee over the course of the five games, and only half a dozen were in the first game. That shows how competitive and hardly fought the match was. In the end it could have gone either way, and most of the crowd had definitely taken sides, but Beng Hee held out to clinch it.

Click Here to see initial results before evening session and Opening Ceremony

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